Apex Legends Season 12 is almost here, and it’s one of the biggest updates. Not only are we getting new points of interest in the Olympus map, but we’ll also get a new, chaotic Limited Time Mode called Control and Mad Maggie, the new legend.

Among the smaller updates in Season 12 will be a buff for Crypto. As someone who has mained everyone’s favorite hacker since I started playing Apex Legends, this is actually the most exciting part of the new update for me. If you’re a diehard Crypto player or looking to pick up the character for the first time since Season 3, here’s what you need to know about his buff and some tips for the new season.

What is Crypto’s Buff?

Crypto is getting a solid buff to how he can use his drone. When you tap your Tactical Ability button, his drone will fly out in a straight line for 20 meters and stop. He will still be able to move, run around, and shoot while the drone is getting into position. There’s a short animation to Crypto tossing out the drone, but after that, you can play as you would normally. The drone will then hover in the air and scan any enemies, traps, or doors in its range. Additionally, if the drone hits a wall while it’s being thrown out, it will turn 180 degrees and face the other direction. You can tell when the drone will hit a surface upon deploying it if the green circle around your crosshair is bright.

If you want to enter the drone manually, hold the Tactical Ability button while deploying it instead of tapping it. Crypto will still throw the drone out, but you will gain control of it about three to four meters from where it was initially tossed. You can then fly the drone around as you normally would, check banners, pick up teammates’ banner cards, and scan enemies. You can trigger Crypto’s EMP regardless of what method you decide to use for deploying the drone.

1. Be More Aggressive With Your Drone

Now that you can throw the drone out, you can play way more aggressively with Crypto. This doesn’t mean you should be pushing every team; however, this change allows Crypto players to stay engaged in the fight with minimal downtime. Because of this, don’t be afraid to throw your drone out when you’re pushing a team or in a fight. Sure, it might get destroyed, but it will relay some critical info about your foe’s positions as well. Many Crypto players are too worried about losing their drone, but it’s something that will happen in most engagements. What matters is how you use your drone, and if deploying it gives you enough info to secure a knockdown or kill.

Since the drone turns around when it hits a wall, you can also use this flying friend to relay info on whether people are chasing you while you retreat. It won’t really slow down your movement, so this is essentially a way to get free information without putting yourself at risk. Quick players can also observe when someone shoots at a drone to pop out and blast the enemy before they can target you.

2. Throw it at the Ground

Tying into being more aggressive: If you throw the drone at the ground, the deploy animation will be a little faster. This can be critical if you want to get the drone out during a hectic fight but don’t have the time to place it somewhere useful. Additionally, throwing it at the ground makes it perfect to use as cover when you crouch. It won’t cover your entire body, but the drone has 50 HP — that’s an entire White EVO Shield’s worth of damage before it’s destroyed! Even before this buff, I would often use my drone as cover if I needed it; this change only makes that simpler. Just remember that the drone will face whatever direction you’re facing when you press the Tactical Ability button.

Apex Legends Crypto Season 12

3. Know When and How to EMP

With the newfound power to throw your drone out, it can be tempting to use your EMP while it’s moving. In some cases, you can absolutely do this and it will work! However, the drone flies in a single direction, which makes it supremely easy to predict and shoot when an EMP triggers. Because of this, manually controlling the drone is still one of the best ways to make the most of your EMP. Not only does this make it harder to destroy, but you can also place it in advantageous positions like against walls, under floors, or next to cover before triggering your Ultimate. Crypto’s Ultimate can swing an entire fight, so you don’t want to just throw your drone right at the enemies and trigger it.

However, this buff does make it easier for Crypto to deploy his drone while running away to use his Ultimate. While you typically want to utilize the EMP as an engagement tool, there are some moments where you need it to escape a team or just get into a better position. Timing is everything with Crypto’s Ultimate, so be cognizant of the fact it may get shot down if you just throw it at your foes in hopes of getting an EMP off.

4. Most Animation Cancel Tricks are Gone

A small tip for all my other Crypto mains out there: Our two main forms of getting around his drone deploy animations have been fixed. You cannot climb an object while deploying the drone to instantly put it on top of that cover. You will now go into the drone or it will face the wrong direction — neither is ideal.

Holding down your Tactical Ability will not deploy the drone where you’re standing anymore, either. Instead, it will move a few feet forward before you gain control of it. Sorry, gang! This is the price to pay for having been able to use our drone without going into it.

5. Pick the Right Loadout

When it comes to Crypto, I really recommend running a mid-range and close-range weapon this season. Crypto is not a flanking character nor one who will initiate a fight; he should typically hang back a bit. While this buff can certainly help Crypto players who like to get in an enemy team’s face during a fight, he still excels at supporting his team from a distance. Some solid weapons for this are the Rampage, R301, Triple Take, and 30-30 Repeater. The Flatline is also a fantastic option, but that requires you to craft it first.

You also want to carry two to three Ultimate Accelerants if you have a rare or legendary backpack. His EMP is the best part of his kit, so having it ready for a fight is critical. Remember: As a Crypto player, you are not the legend who kicks down the door and engages right away. You support your teammates by firing at whom they are targeting or helping them recover their retreat after they down someone. Unless your team is pushing after an EMP, it’s better to stay back and harass enemies while providing information via your drone.

5 Tips & Tricks for Playing Crypto in Season 12 of Apex Legends

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